The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Campaign saw the introduction of Open Combat Missions that basically give players the freedom to choose how they want to approach a mission.
Although OCMs don't exactly transform CoD's linear story progression formula into an open-world setting, they definitely add more depth and exploration that allows you to explore the level design as you please.
How do Open Combat Missions work in Modern Warfare 3
During an Open Combat Mission, your best friend will be the Tacmap. The mission objectives will be listed in the top-left corner and you can complete them in any order. Furthermore, you can go guns blazing, but I personally enjoy a stealth-based, tactical approach. On the map screen, you can also check out what Gear you're carrying, such as Ascender, Parachute, Armor, and Night Vision Goggles. For some OCMs, you'll have to manually search and acquire these Gear to be able to use them.
You'll also notice some legends/icons next to the Tacmap, the most important of which are:
- Zipline/Ascender Point: This can be used to rappel up or down a structure if you have the Ascender Gear unlocked.
- Supply Box: These contain kitted weapons.
- Armament: These are powerful killstreaks such as Bomb Drone, Sentry Gun, Mortar Strike, etc.
- Field Upgrade: You can find items such as Munition Boxes and Recon Drones.
Related: How to change keybinds in CoD MW3
When the mission starts, you may or may not have guns equipped. Regardless, you can find weapons inside supply boxes and pick them up from enemies. There are several weapons to be discovered during an Open Combat Mission, and once found, you can go to the Loadout box to change and customize your weaponry as well as equipment.
You start with a basic single-plate vest, but you can find Plate Carriers across the map while exploring. You can equip two of these to boost your armor capacity to three, which proves very useful to survive tough enemies if you ask me. In conclusion, complete straightforward objectives during Open Combat Missions while exploring the map for different approaches to the target.
Stay tuned to Pro Game Guides for more Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone content. In the meantime, head over to our article on MW3 Beta Patch Notes (November 2023).
Praharsh Kashyap is a video gaming enthusiast from India currently working as a Contributing Writer at Pro Game Guides. He has been playing and covering first-person shooters such as Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Apex Legends for years now. Besides FPS games, he also likes to indulge in RPGs every now and then.